State panel revokes law officer certificate of long-time Marshall County sheriff for "pattern of

State panel revokes law officer certificate of long-time Marshall County sheriff for "pattern of sex harassment"

State officials in Pierre on Thursday, Dec. 13, revoked the law enforcement certification of Marshall County Sheriff Dale Elsen, a 41-year veteran of the department, for “engaging in a pattern of sexual harassment.”

Hughes County Sheriff Mike Leidholt is the longest serving member of the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission. In his 16 years on the 11-member commission, it has never revoked the law enforcement certification of a “sitting sheriff,” Leidholt said on Thursday.

All nine voting members of the Standards and Training Commission voted to revoke Elsen’s certification after hearing testimony from Elsen, who was accompanied by four Marshall County Commissioners and other supporters.

Elsen, who is 63 and has been sheriff since 1983 after six years as a deputy, admitted making the sexually explicit comments and jokes, but said he’s changed his ways and wants to serve out his new four-year term, after getting 83 percent of the vote in November.